Daughter of the Native Sun

PhotographerDon Dagg

Prize3rd Place in Book(self-published) / Other

Entry Description

My goal with this photographic series was to combine my love of nature with my interest in Canada's First Nation's history. The great nation that once was is a complicated and sensitive subject in this country. I hope in some way I have brought back to life the wonderful spirit of these people. Tanya Roberts believed in the project and allowed me to photograph her in traditional First Nation dress. I hope this work reflects the harmony these people had with nature and the true freedom they once possessed.

Story

Native cultures throughout the world have always had a unique relationship with the sun. It is the giver of life and nothing survives without it. Native Americans and in Canada (The First Nations) have distinct cultures which pay tribute to all things natural. Their traditional ways are a sure guide to how things can and should be. They had deep respect for the earth and the animals they shared it with. The world was looked upon with grace and the land was treated as sacred. Freedom was natural and not determined by the rules and laws made by newcomers. They lived in harmony with nature not against it. Killing only for survival and never for sport. The people who inhabited this land are forever a symbol of what has been lost. The sun may have set on this great nation but their spirit and teachings live on. Perhaps we can learn from the following quote which has as much relevance in todays world as it did in the past. "Nothing good arises from forcing ones ways and beliefs on another."